What She Loves
by nodelinquent
Summary: Karai and Leonardo were both raised by Oroku Saki. When he dies, Leo takes over as the new Shredder and leader of the Foot Clan, Karai becoming his second-in-command. But the change brings hidden feelings into light, which only escalate when they travel to New York to settle a conflict. 2012 AU, Leonardo/Karai.
1. What She Remembers

**This is a short story I'm working on in between writing on my more serious, longer Leorai story. I'll try to update weekly, and sorry that this first part is so short, I'll make up for it by posting the second part this weekend. Enjoy!**

**The cover art is one I commissioned from snuffes on tumblr.**

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><p><strong>1.<strong>

_Karai doesn't remember how they found her - she only knows what they told her._

_A fire had engulfed her house, and it was already a raging blaze when Oroku Saki and his soldiers came there. Hamato Yoshi and Tang Shen had been loyal members of the Foot Clan, enemies had attacked them in the night, set their house on fire, expecting them all to perish in the flames._

_And they did, Hamato Yoshi and Tang Shen died that night._

_But their 3-year-old daughter, Karai, did not._

_And that's who the Shredder found, standing outside the house, covered in soot and grime, still in her sleeping garments, wailing to the skies with tears and snot running down her face. She only quieted to sniffles and sobs when she saw them come over to her. Oroku Saki adopted her, let her into his home and made her his daughter._

_That is what they told her happened, she doesn't remember, doesn't remember her parents, doesn't remember the men that killed them, doesn't remember Shredder or any Foot ninjas from that night._

_But there is something she remembers, a faint, dream-like memory. Sometimes she wonders if it's an actual memory or just a delusion, something she made up a long time ago and have mistaken for a memory._

_It's the light from the flames, casting large shadows that dances over the ground. It's the smell of smoke, suffocating, making her cough and cry even harder than she already was. Then he comes. _

_It looks like he walked through the fire to get to her. A large, blurry figure that kneels before her, holds out his hand, grey eyes calm and reassuring. The vision fades into her clinging to his neck, his strong arms carrying her away from the fire, his rough skin tickling her cheek._

_Yes, she remembers him. _

_She remembers _Leonardo.


	2. What She Believes

**I said I would post the next part this weekend. I lied. The next part will take a bit longer however, hope you guys like this one!**

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><p><strong>2.<strong>

The tantô fell out of her hand.

It was stupid, careless, a ninja didn't just _drop_ their weapon. But she did, and she didn't care. Her feet slammed against the ground when she ran through dark-lit corridors, almost colliding with Foot ninjas and servants as she flew past, everything around her was a blur, tunnel-vision pulling her forwards, the words echoing in her mind:

_Your Father was injured in battle._

It wasn't the message itself, but the way the Foot ninja had relayed it to her. This wasn't just a light cut, a broken leg or arm. This was something else, something serious, something _deadly_.

She burst into the hospital area, the doctors,nurses and patients jump in surprise, every head turned towards her,

"Where is he?" Her voice was strangely loud in the silence, Karai hardly recognized herself in it, "Where is Father?"

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><p>Leonardo was sitting beside the bed, face solemn, sadder than she'd seen him in a long time. There was a strange pressure on her heart, as if someone was crushing it, and it sunk down in her gut, leaving her eyes watery and hands trembling. She wanted to rush forward, but her legs could barely carry her when she approached the bed. There was a chair for her there, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from her father.<p>

His burnt face was twisted in a grimace of pain, breathing shallow, a thick layer of bandages around his chest and stomach - a big, red spot in the middle. Karai finally sat down on the chair, placing her hand on his, "Father?" she said, trying to push down the lump in her throat.

Oroku Saki opened his eyes, which were glassy and unfocused until they managed to meet hers.

"My daughter," a raspy breath, "I am glad to be able to see you… one last time…"

Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she was unable to stop them, "No, no father, you will be alright."

He began to cough, a disgusting, gurgling sound that made Karai flinch. Blood spilled from the corner of his dry lips. Leo reached out, drying it carefully with a piece of cloth, "I have made... Leonardo my successor… he will take my name when I am gone…" Another cough, not as violent as the last, "and you, my daughter, will be his second-in-command."

"No," Karai shook her head, "please father," she swallowed, "please stay with us."

"It is out of my hands, my daughter," he lifted his hand, placing it weakly on her cheek. She took it, held it against her face until he expired.

She didn't know how long she sat there, time felt as if it had stopped, and she wished it had. Wished that she could stay in that moment so she wouldn't have to face the consequences of what came afterwards. But the spell was broken when Leonardo placed his hands on her shoulders, "Karai," he spoke, "let's put him to rest."

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><p>The funeral and Leo's coronation took place on the same day.<p>

Karai felt numb through the entire process. There was a black hole in her heart, and it had been growing ever since father died. Sometimes she would think it had filled up, lessened in size, but then a memory came to her, something reminding her of her father, and the hole expanded again until she was hollow inside.

When she cried, Leo was there to hold her, stroking her back. He didn't say anything, no words of comfort or reassurances. Perhaps he knew they wouldn't have worked on her anyway. She clung to him, letting her tears fall freely, body rocking with muffled sniffles and sobs. Afterwards she would feel embarrassed. She didn't want Leo to think of her as weak or too emotional, she wanted him to see her as strong, reliable, capable to handle her new responsibility as second-in-command. The fact that he was so much older than her, thirty years against her twenty, didn't help her feel much like his equal already.

The only time she'd seen him cry was during the funeral. She'd glanced over to him, almost on accident, maybe subconsciously wanting to see his reaction to the burning pile before them. His cheeks were wet with tears, eyes closed and mouth turned down, jaws clenched as if he was trying to push it all down. She had taken his hand then. Held it.

He squeezed back just as tightly.

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><p>He was intimidating, maybe even more so than father had been. It was his unnatural shape hidden beneath the armor and long cloak. which swept behind him wherever he walked. He couldn't wear the Kuro Kabuto - it was too small, didn't fit with the shape of his head at all - so they'd made a custom one with a similar design. For months it hurt her to look at him, and he seemed to acknowledge that, often coming to her out of his garment. But eventually she adapted, exposed herself to the new Shredder and accepted that it was not her father under that helmet.<p>

He ruled the Foot Clan just as good as their father, solving conflicts and completing missions flawlessly. Karai stepped into her new role as second-in-command, a role that Leo had previously held. It was satisfying to see ninjas quiver before her, bow when she walked past, listen to her every order with utmost attention.

The new position also meant that she had to spend more time with Leo, sitting with him during meetings and mission briefings, accompanying him on business trips or trades and fighting side by side with him during battle.

She found herself feeling warm inside whenever she managed to make him smile, whenever she impressed him with a wise suggestion or pulling off a complex move. She remembered the days from their childhood; his hands on her when he corrected her stance and his encouraging words and praise when she got it right. Sometimes, after an especially challenging day in the dojo, he'd take her outside where they'd sit in the garden by the pond, just enjoying the peace and silence. Leo would take out a chocolate bar, telling her his "fingers were too big to split it", so Karai would do it for him, and they'd share the chocolate while the sun set in the distance.

Those days were a distant memory now. When she turned eight, Leonardo became second-in-command. He'd still come by every once in a while, watch her train, smile and listen to her ramble about her day. But otherwise she would only see him when he and father returned late for dinner, and that was the only time they were gathered together as a family.

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><p>Karai wasn't exactly sure when she first noticed, but she remembered one time that might have started it all:<p>

The Foot wasn't just a secret ninja clan, it was also a business - an organisation - and with that came a few obligations. Sometimes they needed "accomplices" for their activities, a way to both threaten and make the higher-ups aware of their power. Ever since Father died, Karai was sent to these kind of gatherings alone as the company's representative.

She admired herself in the mirror. The dark purple dress, splitting at the side of one of her thighs, revealing her long, slender leg, the hair piece keeping her hair in a simple but elegant knot - all of it looked perfect. She slid her hands along her figure, along the bumpy pattern of the embroideries on the fabric.

It was then that Leo came into the room.

They still shared an apartment, they always had, and he'd been waiting for her to get ready so he could take her to the party. None of that was anything strange. What _was_ strange however, was the way Leo was staring at her.

His eyes were wide,glowing in amazement and surprise. He seemed flustered, cheeks colored by a soft blush and his tongue sweeping nervously over his mouth.

And the fact that he was flustered made _Karai_ flustered. Heat crawled up along her neck, a shiver running down her spine and a tingly feeling in her stomach. Yet she swallowed it down, resisted the urge to start rubbing her arm, instead putting her hands on her hips and smirking; "So? How do I look?"

That seemed to snap him out of it, and he coughed awkwardly, "You look… great. Are you ready to go?"

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><p>After that, things weren't the same.<p>

She often caught Leo staring at her, a thoughtful, lingering gaze that broke as soon as he realized she'd noticed. Whenever he came close, Karai's body reacted to it with a growing warmth inside her. She began to notice how his hands would sometimes stroke his shin, the way he carried himself when they walked together, the deep, soft tone of his voice when he spoke to her, and his eyes - his beautiful, grey eyes - shimmering like dark oceans.

It made her hyper aware of herself too, the way she had to take deep inhales sometimes when he was nearby, how her heart began to flutter, chest aching. Her body burned with the need to be closer to him, but she forced that urge down, only losing control of it during practice or other instances where her closeness had an excuse.

And while she couldn't be sure, it felt like he was doing the same, touching her more, shooting her smiles and held her gaze longer than necessary. But it might have all been in her head, an illusion that fit her newfound desire.

She couldn't help but wish it wasn't.

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><p>"You look tired."<p>

"Not more tired than usual."

Leo dodged her punch with ease, and she blocked his counter without a second thought. They circled each other, feet meeting the ground at the exact same time, eyes never leaving one another.

"I heard rumors about some kind of trouble in the New York fraction of the Clan," she said, going back to circling him.

"Who told you that?"

"I might have been going through your messages."

Leo made a face, "You could have just asked."

"Where's the fun in that?" she said, then let out a yell, delivering several hits at once.

He blocked, grabbed her wrists, holding them tightly, "I would have told you anyway."

"Oh, really?" Karai leaned back, flipping Leo over, jumping back on her feet just as his shell slammed into the matt.

A grin spread on her lips as she looked down at him, reaching out a hand to help him up. He scoffed at her, but accepted the hand, "I was actually going to ask you to come with me to New York to fix it."

Her eyes widened, "Really?"

"Yes," Leo stood, rubbing his neck, "the situation is worse than we first thought, I'll bring Tiger Claw with as well."

"What about here at home?"

"The Foot Elite can handle things, especially after we settled that agreement with the Hamato Clan," he took a stance, "Ready for round two?"

Karai followed his example, "Ready to get beaten again?"

They went back to sparring, but Karai's mind was elsewhere. A trip to New York? She'd never been outside Japan before, the prospect of going to America was exciting - especially going there with Leo, even if Tiger Claw was going to accompany them. He was part of the Foot Elite and one of Leo's most trustworthy advisors, as he'd been to their father. Though she hadn't liked him initially, finding him arrogant and disrespectful towards her, she couldn't deny that his skills were an important asset to the Foot Clan.

Karai was snapped out of her thoughts when Leo knocked her over, climbed on top and pinned her down on the floor. They were both panting, and when she looked up at him she saw that he was close. Very, _very_ close. She could hear his steady breathing, hot against her lips, could see every bump and crevice on his glistening, green scales, his hand shaking against her wrists. He leaned down, and she moved her hands up to touch his cheeks, heart thumping loudly in her head.

Then they kissed.

Her eyes closed naturally, heightening the taste and feel of Leo's tongue inside her mouth, exploring it with gentle strokes, hesitant, soft - addicting. Karai responded, almost shyly. She'd never truly kissed someone, not like this, not with her every being tickling and her chest soaring. His hands were on her hips, smoothing up along her side, moving even closer, pressing against her with his weight. But she did not mind, just wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down, deepening the kiss.

He pushed away.

It was like being dropped into a pool of water without being allowed to take a deep breath. Her head spun with euphoria, body aching and lips sore. She was panting, and when she looked at Leo he was doing the same thing, hand pressing against his forehead.

"Leo, you.." she didn't know how to continue. In reality, she wasn't sure if what had happened had actually _happened_. But it had, it really had. She began to smile, "you kissed me."

Her smile dropped at his grim expression, "And it was a mistake," he sat up, the loss of his presence making her heart sink.

"A _mistake_?" She pushed herself up on her elbows.

"Yes," he stood, "a mistake."

Karai got up on her feet, "We both know it wasn't."

Leo shook his head. "It's not right, Karai, we can't do this ever again."

"Why not?" she asked, frustration seeping into her voice.

"You're like a sister to me, and I'm too old for you."

Karai let out a short laugh, "You're not too old for me. And do siblings kiss each other?"

"You know what I mean," he said, practically grinding his teeth, "I can't risk people thinking we have… _that_ kind of relationship."

She put her hands on her hips, "Why not?"

"They could use that against us, the Clan could think I'm favoring you-"

"That's already a thing! They know we have a strong connection, not only as master and second-in-command."

"That's not the same."

"What's _really_ holding you back, Leo?" her arms dropped to her sides, "Because this isn't it."

Leo frowned, a short silence before he answered; "These are my reasons. And we're not going to speak of this again."

Her blood boiled, anger flaring inside her, making her body tense and fingers dig into her palms, "Fine," Karai sneered, striding past him, "if that's what you want." Her steps echoed loudly in the silence when she barged out of the dojo.

She didn't know what hurt the most - what he'd just said or the fact that he didn't come after her.


	3. What She Wants

**I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, I've been feeling awful lately and my beta was very busy with real life stuff so that also delayed it a bit. Anyway, hope you enjoy this part!**

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><p><strong>3.<strong>

The next couple of days were strained, to say the least.

Leo avoided her, and she avoided him. Every time Karai was forced to interact with him (and that was a lot considering her position), it left a bitter taste in her mouth, along with a deep sense of betrayal. And that was how she treated him - either with a slight glare or indifferent, cold stare, every conversation short and to the point and staying five feet away from him at all times. He seemed annoyed by her behavior, sometimes pursing his lips so tightly that Karai was waiting for them to melt together. Which was just fine with her, she just hoped he knew that he deserved it.

They didn't have an extensive talk until their trip to America was merely a week away, and even then it was mostly about practical things, such as traveling method and equipment and the work that needed to be done there. Apparently bigger gangs had formed in New York, and they were quickly taking over Foot Clan territory. One of the most prominent gangs were a bunch of thugs called the Purple Dragons, who'd grown in numbers after they got a new leader by the name of Hun. Previously their New York fragment had been especially successful, even expanding outside of the city, so it wasn't surprising that Leo would take matters into his own hands.

Despite everything that had happened, Karai was still excited for the trip. As their private jet closed in for landing, her legs bounced impatiently against the floor. She startled a bit when she felt a presence next to her, Leo leaning close.

"Excited?" he asked with a trying smile.

_Do you really think it's gonna be that easy? _But at least he was talking to her in a way he hadn't for a while, might as well humor him a bit. "Yes," She responded, not as cold as she usually had lately.

Leo gave her a genuine smile before leaning away.

Karai hated herself for wishing he'd lean in close again.

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><p>The base of operations was in an abandoned church in a murky part of New York City.<p>

Karai found it to be a bit too theatrical, even for her father, but she had to admit it was quite intimidating. It only got more ridiculous and impressive when they stepped into the "throne room", the automatic doors opening with a sound that reminded her of an ancient tomb being opened rather than something modern. She raised an eyebrow at the throne room and its grandeur.

The man who had been put in charge of this establishment - Chris Bradford, a name that made Karai want to laugh - met them with a humble bow. Along with two Foot ninja standing behind him, there was also another man, a lot less muscular than Bradford but almost a head taller than the other. Karai's gaze was drawn to him, almost unwillingly, and their eyes met. He grinned at her, and a sense of satisfaction swept over her body.

_At least someone knows a good find when they see one._

"Master Shredder," Bradford said, snapping Karai out of her thoughts, "Forgive me for the trouble I've caused by forcing you to come here."

Leo narrowed his eyes at him. The man was taller than him, yet Leo still managed to make him shrink with his threatening aura, "Who is this?" he asked, looking at the man behind Bradford.

"This is my associate, Xever," Bradford answered, "He deals with the lower criminals and their activities. Recently, he's been gathering information on the Purple Dragons."

Xever bowed curtly, and Karai could tell he wasn't very used to the action. When he straightened up again, his eyes were still on her, and now she responded to his stare with a smirk of her own.

_Xever._ For some reason, she kept repeating the name in her head. _Xever_. It made her shiver.

Leonardo turned away from him and focused on Bradford again. "Oroku Saki established a strong base here," he said with an accusing tone, "and he entrusted you to keep it that way."

Karai could see Bradford's jaw tense, "I can assure you, I have done everything in my power to-"

"I'm relieving you of your position as command of this base. You will not do anything without my permission." he moved, standing half-turned away from Bradford but still nailing him with his gaze, "Is that understood?"

Bradford clenched his fists, then bowed, "Yes, Master Shredder."

Without another word, Leo left, cape sweeping behind him. Karai shot one last glance at Xever before following Leo, coming up next to him, smirking, "That went well."

"Incompetent fool," Leo muttered, "I'll have him replaced soon enough."

"So, what's the next step?"

"I'll need to inspect our operations."

"Good, I'll come with-"

"No. I need you to stay here," Leo stopped, finally looking at her, "Someone has to make sure Bradford follows my orders."

"What?! You're putting me on babysitting duty?"

"Think of it more as 'guard duty'."

_Sure, right._ "You're only doing this to avoid me."

"I'm not avoiding you," he said, voice dripping with annoyance, "I _do_ need you here."

"You could order Tiger Claw to do this, but you're not."

Leo sighed, "Karai…"

"Whatever, if you don't want me around, then fine," She strode past him, a slow, creeping feeling of infuriation filling her. Leo was acting as if she was the only one involved in that kiss - he seemed to have forgotten that _he_ had kissed her too.

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><p>She did not sleep well.<p>

Perhaps it was the fact that Leo had been ignoring her after her last confrontation. He kept dancing around her, sending her and himself out on pointless missions and avoiding questions like they were impending drones of doom. It was driving her insane - and it was like that anger channeled into her dreams as well, because she woke up this morning, tense and with a terrible pain in her neck. During practice, she kept having to stop to massage it, but her reach was so poor she might as well have been brushing it with a feather.

Xever, who was conveniently training in the dojo at the same time as her (without a shirt, which Karai _really_ did not mind at all), observed her quietly, "You seem tense."

"My neck is killing me," Karai extended her arms over her head, muscles cracking. But the ache didn't go away, in fact it just multiplied when she moved her arms slightly to the left. With a sigh she let them drop, going back to rubbing her shoulder blades with the tip of her fingers.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," Xever's hands were on her back, stroking up to her shoulders where he let his slender fingers take a steady grip. He massaged her shoulder blades with his thumbs, drawing soothing circles on her back and, god, it felt so _good_. She couldn't stop the moan that slipped out of her, and she definitely couldn't help leaning into his touch, melting under his skilled fingers.

"Wow," she sighed, humming, closing her eyes, "you're_ really_ good at this."

"I've had practice," his voice was next to her ear, and now his hands moved lower, to her sides, to her stomach, his arms pulling her into his embrace, pulling her against him, kissing the back of her neck and sending waves of desire through her body.

And that was when she saw Leonardo standing in the doorway.

Her heart skipped a beat, meeting his surprised stare that slowly turned into a look of poorly restrained anger, his fists clenched and his mouth became a thin line. A smirk began to spread on her face, a feeling of pure glee and malice making her all jittery inside.

Leo was jealous. So utterly _jealous_.

"Xever," she purred, putting all her seductive energy into every word, keeping her eyes on Leo, "I think I would like a massage like this more often."

"I would be happy to supply them," he said, and now his hands were creeping towards her breasts.

It seemed like Leo had had enough, "Xever," he boomed, striding into the room, looking especially intimidating and commanding as he did so. Xever backed away from Karai, lining up beside her to greet their master properly. Karai on the other hand put her hands on her hips, still smirking despite Leo's attempt to be scary and Shredder-y.

"I need you to fish out more information about where the Purple Dragons are planning their next strike", Leo said, then turned to Karai, "and I would like to speak with you. In private."

"Of course, _Master_ Shredder," she said, sending Xever a sultry look as he walked out of the dojo. He responded to it with a grin and slid the shades shut.

"What are you playing at?" Leo asked once Xever was gone.

"Me?" Karai said, fluttering her eyelids innocently, "I'm just spending some quality time with _Xever_." The last word was followed by a theatrical sigh, "He's very charming."

Leo was practically grinding his teeth in frustration, and Karai had to try extremely hard not to laugh at him, "You're only doing this to annoy me."

_Oh, how the tables turn,_ "No, Leonardo, I don't spend my days thinking of schemes to annoy you. I was actually enjoying Xever's company."

"Is that why you were looking at me like that earlier?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Karai spun around, walking over to the bench and fetching her bottle of water. But she didn't even get a chance to take a sip before Leo was there, taking the bottle from her and slamming it down on the bench, putting his hand on the wall and stepping dangerously close to her.

"You're testing my patience, Karai," he spoke darkly, "and I don't like it one bit."

"So you don't want to be with me, but I can't see other people?" she narrowed her eyes, piercing him with her gaze, "you can't have it both ways, Leo."

He glared back at her, and they were stuck like that, facing each other down, faint noise of drizzle against the windows echoing in the silence. Karai refused to budge, wouldn't, no matter how long he insisted on giving her that look. He wasn't allowed to win this time, he wasn't going to slither his way out of it and leave her broken and confused. No. Freaking. Way.

Suddenly, he raised his hand, and for a moment she was sure he was going to grab her, maybe shake her and give her a proper scolding. But instead it fell on her cheek, the back of his fingers brushing against it, a surge of excitement ran through her, made her face heat and her knees weak.

"Alright," he said, voice low and soft, "I want you to be mine, and mine alone."

Then he closed the distance between them, parting his lips as he let them meet hers. She was pressed against the wall, her hands shooting up to his neck, pulling him closer, closer, oh she wanted him _closer_.

Leo wrapped his arms around her waist, and she wrapped hers around his neck, pressing her tender breasts against his plastron and it felt so, so _good_. His tongue swept inside her mouth, warm and gentle and slow, it drove her crazy, her own tongue circling his, desperate for more. She wanted to satisfy that yearning, her craving to finally have him in her grasp - yet he robbed her of that, forced her to take it slow, to submit to his pace. She was standing on her toes, reaching for him, scratching the upper-part of his shell in frustration.

_You're selfish_, she thought, wished she could tell him that - that he was being horribly selfish and cruel, but she wouldn't break away from the kiss. _Couldn't_ break away from it.

A cough startled them both, Leo being the first to pull away, as if he'd been shot in the back.

Tiger Claw was standing in the doorway, arms crossed and nose wrinkled. Karai would've laughed at that, but she was too ecstatic from the kiss, could almost feel Leo's lips still on hers, the taste of his tongue still fresh in her mind. "Master Shredder," Tiger Claw said, "could I have a word with you?"

Leo took another step away from Karai, and she could see how stiff his shoulders were, the strained look on his face, "Of course," he answered, not sparing Karai a single glance as he walked towards him. But Karai didn't mind. In fact, she felt like she'd just won a battle, the exhilarating feeling of victory filling her to the point of giddiness.

Leo had said it. He was hers now.

They'd be together.


End file.
